Semester Reflection

   I can't even begin to start to explain the things that I have learned this semester. I feel as if I have been designing for a year already just by the things I have learned and all of the information and knowledge I have gained. Even though this semester seems like it flew by,  I think there a key parts to each project for me that will stick with me. I decided to discuss each project, I think this should help to organize my thoughts better.
   In our first project, the Dot Book, I took away that even with the most simple shape, such as a circle, you can communicate almost any emotion or word if really work at it. With this being my first big project as a designer, I was really excited that the end product was going to be a book. I also was thankful for the simpleness, being new to design. Little did I know how the placement of dots could reveal an entire story. I quickly learned the idea of communication visually, as well as all of the communication as a class and with my teachers which was something pretty new for me. The teacher and class critiques on every single step of the project was a process that helped me work through this project.  The word iteration also stuck with me throughout this project.  I know that the first 4-5 ideas or thumbnails might not be the final product. As I know and often hear, graphic design is always changing and so is the process of creating a design.

     The Kansas City posters were our second project, and I was honestly really nervous about this project. With the final project being a poster. Creating something poster like was unknown territory for me. The process was very similar to our dot book project, but the concept of juxtaposition was key for these posters. I liked how involving so many different processes came together to create a single product. A photograph, a line study, and typography coming together to make a clean and thoughtful poster. I would say the two things from this project that will stick with me would be digital craft, and that not everything can be created on the computer! Beautiful lines, and shapes are all around us and I will keep this in mind as I continue my work. Jamie also pushed my digital craft, especially on my Downtown poster with the skyline. Individually going over each line of my line study with the pen tool to have the line be smooth and flow together. I was really proud of my end product and what I accomplished. I was happy that my concept stuck throughout the critiques and over time just became more clear and clean(digital craft).

    The motif project was all of the visual communication that we have learned so far coming together. Creating shapes out of analog method combined with text and in the end creating a flash video out of our motifs to portray our haiku poem. whew! I think this project taught me all of the things that you can do to communicate an idea or story. Once again using an analog method to create our project. Taking our analog marks and using them digitally. I think this is a good outlet for me. I have yet to master creating everything on the computer, but I know how to use paint, scissors, glue, objects, and a scanner to get a product. I love how that is a part of design that I don't think many people realize. To be able to incorporate these methods that have nothing to do with a computer. Combining type and digital methods, I get the best of both worlds!

    The knowledge I will carry to next semester, is probably everything I have learned this semester! I feel like I kind of started from "scratch" but I do think it is amazing the things I am beginning to understand and learn everyday.  I really appreciate the professionalism I have learned this year and how to incorporate that into my work as well. The passion that Jamie, Marty, and Kelly have has definitely rubbed off on me.
Thank you!